This invention relates generally to the field of prosthetic limbs, and more particularly to an improved prosthetic connector having a shuttle lock mechanism which enables easy and rapid connection and disconnection of a prosthetic limb from an amputation site.
Artificial limbs adapted to reproduce the form or function of a lost member are very common. Early artificial limbs were formed as integral pieces which were permanently affixed to the amputation site. In the practice of modern prosthetics, a connector assembly is permanently attached to the amputation site, which allows the user to remove the prosthesis when desired. The connector assembly also allows the user to have interchangeable prosthetic limbs.
Newer prosthetic limbs can be constructed for specialized uses, such as athletics. For example, the user of such limbs may wish to wear a more esthetically pleasing limb for social occasions, and then switch to a specialized athletic prosthesis for engaging in physical activities. The user may also wish to change the prosthesis to an inexpensive, durable prosthesis to protect the main prosthesis from damage, such as while showering or swimming. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a prosthetic connector assembly which facilitates rapid and easy removal and reattachment of the prosthesis.
There are numerous examples of prosthetic connector assemblies in the prior art. Connector assemblies designed for rapid coupling include Ferrier, U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,352 and Weiner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,365. The Winer et al. system is described as a xe2x80x9cquick changexe2x80x9d mechanism, however the Ferrier mechanism requires the user to perform several steps. Another drawback of the Ferrier system is the relatively large number of moving parts. A disadvantage of the Ferrier device is the use of a removable pin to lock the prosthesis into place, which can become lost.
There remains a need in the art for an improved prosthetic connector assembly which allows rapid connection and removal having a simplified design with a minimal number of moving parts.
It is an objective of the invention to provide a socket for a prosthetic connector assembly which enables a user to rapidly and easily remove and reattach a prosthesis.
It is another objective to provide a socket for a prosthetic connector assembly which is self-guiding.
Yet another objective is to provide a connector having a latch lock that includes a wear latch that maintains a secure lock despite the amount of wear that occurs upon the latch lock.
It is still another objective to provide a socket for a prosthetic connector assembly which permits the user to readily interchange different types of prostheses.
It is a further objective of the invention to provide a socket for a prosthetic connector assembly having a simplified design with a minimal number of moving parts.
In accordance with the above objectives, an improved shuttle lock socket for a prosthetic connector assembly is provided. The socket is mounted to the prosthesis, and securely receives a pin. The shuttle lock mechanism is configured to be self-locking by the action of inserting the pin. The pin can be quickly and easily removed by depressing a release button which displaces the spring-biased shuttle lock mechanism. The prosthetic connector includes a cylindrical housing having a semi-toroidal top surface and a flat bottom surface with a mated pin receiving aperture extending axially therethrough and a diametrically positioned cavity therein. The flat bottom surface of the connector is mounted to a prosthetic. A shuttle lock latch is slidingly disposed in the cavity, and the connector includes a means for biasing the shuttle lock latch wherein a portion of latch is available to positively secure a mated pin inserted into the pin receiving aperture. The means for biasing the shuttle lock latch can be a spring. The prosthesis connector of the present invention includes an actuator means for releasing the pin. The shuttle lock latch is securable to the pin by engagement of the shuttle lock latch, and the connector is manually releasable by means of the actuator.
The cylindrical housing has a diameter defining a top and a bottom. The housing is preferably constructed from adjoined first and second sections which are generally cylindrical. The first section has generally planar front and rear surfaces wherein the front surface is positioned in the interior of the housing and the rear surface forms the rear surface of the housing. The second section has a planar rear surface positioned in the interior of the housing, and the front surface of the first section has an elongated recess positioned along the diameter wherein so that the aperture is centered in the elongated recess. The elongated recess is generally rectangular and has a top surface, a bottom surface, and opposing side surfaces, so that the elongated recess cooperates with the rear surface of the second section to form the interior cavity when the first and second sections are adjoined.
The shuttle lock latch is generally rectangular and has a top end surface, a bottom end surface, a planar front surface and a planar rear surface and a width providing close sliding engagement with the opposing sides of the elongated recess. A pin-receiving opening extends through the shuttle lock latch. The pin-receiving opening has a first perimeter coincident with the front surface of the shuttle lock latch and a second perimeter coincident with the rear surface of the shuttle lock latch. The first perimeter is larger than the second perimeter, and the first perimeter and second perimeter have upper and lower edges, wherein the uppers edges are aligned to be equidistant from the top face of the shuttle lock latch and the lower edges define a linearly inclined surface within the pin receiving opening adjacent to the lower perimeter. The shuttle lock latch is slidable between a plurality of positions within the elongated recess. The pin-receiving opening is centrally aligned with the aperture when the bottom rear end of the shuffle lock latch contacts the bottom surface of the elongated recess. In operation, the act of urging a pin into the aperture causes the pin to contact the linearly inclined surface and continuously displace the shuttle lock latch towards the bottom surface until the pin extends through the aperture. The first section of the socket for a prosthetic connector includes a through-bore which extends along the diameter through the top surface of the elongated recess to the first section.
The connector further includes a plunger assembly which extends perpendicularly from and is fixedly attached to the top face of the shuttle lock latch. The plunger assembly comprises a plunger rod and a pushbutton member fixedly attached to at the distal end of the plunger rod. The plunger rod extends through the through-bore of the first section, whereby urging the plunger assembly downwardly displaces the shuttle lock latch. The bottom surface of the elongated recess includes a spring-receiving bore therein along the diameter. The spring member extends into the spring receiving bore, wherein the spring member can be compressed into the spring-receiving bore. The act of urging plunger assembly downwardly displaces the shuttle lock latch to release the pin.
The socket further includes a means to attach the first section to the second section. The attachment means preferably comprises a plurality of threaded through-bores in the first section which can be aligned with plurality of threaded bores in the second section, wherein the first section can be secured to the second section by means of threaded screws. A plurality of threaded bores is also provided to attach the socket to a prosthesis.